Automobile cleaning system



Sept. 4, 1928.. v 1,682,830

R..B. BUSBY ET AL AUTOMOBILE CLEANING, SYSTEM Filed April 8, 1926 I 2Sheets-Sheet 1 g g 73 INVENTOR.

Sept. 4, 19 28.

1,682,830 R. B. BUSBY ET AL AUTOMOBILE CLEANING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed April 8, 1926 A TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,682,830- PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH IB. BUBBY AND LEE 3. SAMANSKI, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

I AUTOMOBILE CLEANING SYSTEM.

Application filed April 8, 1926. Serial No. 100,472.

This invention relates to an automobile.

cleaning pump and its object is to provide means whereby a small amountof soap and distillate or gasoline may be mixed with the water to blowthe dirt and grease oil the running gear of an automobile. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the solutionused may be heated as it is delivered from the machine W whereby thegrease is more easily washed away.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereb the solutionused will not be mixed with t e fresh water whenever 35 the water supplyat the nozzle is out off. A safety valve being provided to allow all ofthe water to pass from the pump back into an overflow receptacle withoutcontaminating the fresh water and thereby reducing the W fire hazardaround the'machine as there will only be a few quarts of mixed solutionon hand at any time instead of a considerable quantity of mixed solutionas would be the case if the overflow went back into the main supplytank.v

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

An'embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings inwhich the same reference numeral is applied to the same portionthroughout, butI am aware that there may be modifications thereof.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the complete machine, portionsthereof being broken away for purpose of illustration,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the complete machine,

Figure 3 is a plan view of'the pump suction pipe and itsassociate partsshowing the over-flow tank, and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the over-flow tank showing thesuction pipe with the soap and distillate pipes attached thereto.

' The machine has a rectangular angle iron pressure from t Mounted aboutthe middle of the frame is a pump, the base of which is indicated at 16,said pump being of a well known form of force pump having two cylinders17 and 18, and an air chamber 19, overflow or safety -valve 20, solutionreturn pipe 21, piston rods 22-23 pivotally connected to the walkingbeam 24, lugs on the air chamber as shown at 29 having a pin 30supporting the walking beam. 65

In order to determine the pressure, the gauge 7 6 is so supported thatit receives full e pipe 61. The walking beam has an overhanging arm 32which is connected by the pitman 33 to the crank 35. The pitman'33 hasits lower end connected to the crank 35 on the shaft 86. The shaft 36carries a large spur gear 40 which is in mesh with a small spur gear non the shaft 4:2, and thatshaft is driven by the wheel 43 around whichthe belt 44 asses from the motor end. A pipe 45 exten s from the baseupwardly into the tank or cover 47 within which are a series of pancakeheater coils 48, and a gas pipe 19, and valve 50 which serve to supplythe necessary gas to keep the heater 51 in operation. The pump cylinders17 and 18 are provided with plungers which have the rods 22-23 pivotedthereto as illustrated at 48'. I 35 On the pump base there is a chamber52 which serves as a relief valve chamber and allows all of the waterpassing therethrough at excess pressure to pass down into the overflowcan 53 whenever necessary. At the side of the overflow can there is thesuction pipe 34 which has the screen 34' at its lower end to prevent thepassage into the pump of foreign matter.

At the back of the frame there are two receptacles and 61", which arefor the purpose of storing as much distillate as may be required tooperate the apparatus. Valve stem's 62-433 on the valves 64t65 affordmeans whereby the soap or distillate 'to be 1 carried to'the spraynozzle may be regulated, the pipes 66-457 being connected to the pumpsuction pipe.

In operation a quantity of the materials to be used, liquid soap anddistillate, are 105 placed in the two small tanks 60 and 61", and thetwo valves 64.- are-regulated to deliver the proper quantity ofdistillate and soap separately to the suction pipe of the pump asillustrated at 66-437 (Figure lu The pump SllUblOIl pipe has twobranches, 68, leading to the strainer 34 and 69 leading to the overflowtank 53.

Attached to the pressure regulating de vice is the return pipe 21 whichdischarges into the receptacle 53. The water pipe 70 has a, floatregulated valve 71 to keep the tank 15 full of water at all times.

The operation of the-apparatus is as follows:

Assuming the tank 15 to be put in'place on its supports 13 and 14, wateris allowed to runout of the valve 71 until the valve is closed by thefloat. The proper quantities of distillate and soap, or gasoline andsoap, are placed in the two tanks and 61, and the corresponding valveswhich have the pipes 6667 leading to the suction pipe 34 are opened asmall amount so that as the ump takes the water out of the tank 15 itwill also take a small amount of soap and distillate, or soap andgasoline, along with it.

The pump is geared to the motor by means of the belt 44., and isoperated at ,a pressure of about 300 pounds to the square inch, the aircushion thereon being maintained within the dome ,75, and beingindicated by the gauge 76; as the water is pumped the burner 51 heats itpractically to boiling and as it is discharged through the pipe 77 andnozzle 78 it is regulated by the valve 79, a nonconducting handle 80being applied to the pipe adjacent the nozzle to prevent the operatorfrom burning his hands thereon. Since the pressure is so high thequantity of water used is very low because the hole at the end of thenozzle 7 8 is very small, and whenever the operator shuts the valve 79the pump will circulate the water containing soap or-distillate into andout of the receptacle53, thereby preventing the fresh water. in the tank15 from becoming contaminated with a considerable quantity of oil. Withthis machine, the maximum cleaning effect of the spray may be attainedwith a minimum of water and soap used, and as the supply ,is practicallyin the form of boiling water its cutting effect on the grease 1sconsiderable, thereby enabling the operattzgr to clean a machine in avery few min- 11 s.

In order to provide against the escape of water from the small tank 53into the large tank 15 and tohold the suction of the pump,

a check valve, 34*, is provided adjacent the strainer 34.

In the use of the nozzle it frequently becomes necessary to close thevalve 79, and when closed the overflow from the pump will discharge intothe receptacle 53 and thereby prevent the mixed distillate and soapywater from being mixed with the clean water in the tank 15, therebyreducing the fire hazard, since all of this mixed solution is promptlydischarged from the nozzle 78 as soon as the valve 79 is again opened.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is as follows:

An automobile cleaning system comprising a frame, a high pressure pumpmounted on said frame, an automatic pressure regulating relief valve onsaid pump, a fresh water tank mounted in said frame below said pump, asuction pipe extending from said pump to the bottom of said tank, avertical open end overflow pipe connected to said suction pipe, a pipeestablishing communication between said automatic relief valve and saidoverflow pipe, a soap-tanln mounted on said frame and having a pipeconnection to said suction pipe, a distillate tank having a pipeconnection to said suction pipe.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 21st day ofMarch, A. D. 1926.

RALPH B. BUSBY. LEE B. SAMANSKI.

